Clients address worries about CMH cuts

About two dozen adults with developmental disabilities are hoping an appeal process will keep them from being victims of a budget crunch.

By Jef RietsmaJournal Correspondent

About two dozen adults with developmental disabilities are hoping an appeal process will keep them from being victims of a budget crunch being borne by a county agency.

A standing-room-only crowd attended a meeting of the Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services board on Tuesday, but public comment was limited to about a half-dozen people.

Board president Barb Parker said due to the extent of the monthly meeting’s agenda, comment would be abbreviated.

She also said that since it appeared many people were present for the same issue, to avoid redundancy a designated spokesperson could have summarized comments on behalf of the group.

Those who spoke said they are concerned about the impact CMH’s potential 25 percent across-the-board cut would have on clients with the greatest need: adults with developmental disabilities.

Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek, an Oakland County attorney and advocate for the group, said phone calls from more than 20 clients in St. Joseph County she received within the past few weeks warranted her attendance at the meeting.

“I look at a packed room like this and I’m concerned,” she said, adding that clients she has heard from are concerned about service reductions imposed on them against their will. “They’re concerned they felt appealing was not an option for them.”

Afterward, Kefalas Dudek said the CMH shouldn’t balance its budget on the backs of the people, especially after hearing a finance report indicate the agency had a deficit of more than $70,000 in December.

She said a client’s services cannot be cut because of a budget deficit.

Clients who have received notice about the potential service reductions have an opportunity to file an appeal, which is fielded by an administrative tribunal of independent judges. The panel examines a client’s situation on a case-by-case basis and determines whether an individual client’s service reduction is justified.

For some clients, the cut in services means they are able to attend a sheltered workshop or receive needed in-home services two or three days per week instead of five. Those services are important because it allows them to live independently.